YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — A man has been taken into custody in Arizona after he allegedly poured gasoline on his girlfriend and then lit her home on fire.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said 43-year-old Jonathan Dittus was recently arrested after his partner accused him of putting his hands around her throat, threatening her with a knife and then pouring gasoline all over the interior of their trailer.
The suspect then allegedly lit some clothing on fire with a propane torch and threw it inside the trailer. YCSO said the woman extinguished the fire before deputies arrived on scene Sunday night near Copper Road in Mayer.
The woman was treated on scene for minor injuries and deputies noticed the trailer had been soaked in gasoline.
Dittus was later apprehended and is now facing a charge of attempted second-degree murder, YCSO said.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
